The Earls Of Derby
The History of the Stanley Family, the Earls of Derby
The history of the Stanley family has been closely intertwined with the history of the country for over 600 years. Thomas Stanley was created first Earl of Derby on the battlefield of Bosworth Field by his stepson King Henry VII. The 7th Earl was beheaded for his loyalty to King Charles I. The 12th started the world famous horse races The Derby and The Oaks. The 13th was a prominent natural historian. The 14th Earl was Prime Minister three times to Queen Victoria, the 15th was Foreign Secretary. The 16th was Governor General of Canada and President of the Board of Trade. The 17th was Secretary of State for War during the first world war and went out to Paris as British ambassador in 1918. The 18th Earl won his Military Cross at Anzio in the Second World War and was Lord Lieutenant for 15 years, he founded Knowsley Safari , and was also chairman of Television Wales & West one of the first independent television franchises.
The Earls Of Derby
The History of the Stanley Family, the Earls of Derby
The history of the Stanley family has been closely intertwined with the history of the country for over 600 years. Thomas Stanley was created first Earl of Derby on the battlefield of Bosworth Field by his stepson King Henry VII. The 7th Earl was beheaded for his loyalty to King Charles I. The 12th started the world famous horse races The Derby and The Oaks. The 13th was a prominent natural historian. The 14th Earl was Prime Minister three times to Queen Victoria, the 15th was Foreign Secretary. The 16th was Governor General of Canada and President of the Board of Trade. The 17th was Secretary of State for War during the first world war and went out to Paris as British ambassador in 1918. The 18th Earl won his Military Cross at Anzio in the Second World War and was Lord Lieutenant for 15 years, he founded Knowsley Safari , and was also chairman of Television Wales & West one of the first independent television franchises.
Thomas, Lord Stanley and 1st Earl of Derby
1435-1504
Lord Thomas Stanley was created the 1st Earl of Derby in 1485 on the Battle of Bosworth when Richard III lost his life crown of England to Henry Tudor. The name comes from the local area of the Hundred of West Derby which included Knowsley and the local town of Liverpool.
Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby
1443-1509
Daughter of John, Duke of Somerset, and descended from Edward III, Margaret was widowed twice after marrying Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond in 1455 and Sir Henry Stafford in 1462. In 1472 she married Thomas, Lord Stanley uniting two of the great fortunes of England at that time. Margaret gave birth to her only son Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, in 1457 at the age of 13.
Thomas, Lord Stanley and 1st Earl of Derby
1435-1504
Lord Thomas Stanley was created the 1st Earl of Derby in 1485 on the Battle of Bosworth when Richard III lost his life crown of England to Henry Tudor. The name comes from the local area of the Hundred of West Derby which included Knowsley and the local town of Liverpool.
Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby
1443-1509
Daughter of John, Duke of Somerset, and descended from Edward III, Margaret was widowed twice after marrying Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond in 1455 and Sir Henry Stafford in 1462. In 1472 she married Thomas, Lord Stanley uniting two of the great fortunes of England at that time. Margaret gave birth to her only son Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, in 1457 at the age of 13.
Thomas, 2nd Earl of Derby
1485-1521
He was appointed Knight, Order of the Bath (KB) in 1494 and Privy Counsellor (PC) in 1520.
Edward, 3rd Earl of Derby
1509-1572
Edward was only 12 when he succeeded to the title, and he was put under the care of his kinsman King Henry VIII who then oversaw the 3rd Earl’s upbringing and running of his estates. Edward, 3rd Earl, held the office of Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire between 1569-1572 and was one of the peers who travelled to Italy to give Pope Clement VII the declaration regarding Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
Thomas, 2nd Earl of Derby
1485-1521
He was appointed Knight, Order of the Bath (KB) in 1494 and Privy Counsellor (PC) in 1520.
Edward, 3rd Earl of Derby
1509-1572
Edward was only 12 when he succeeded to the title, and he was put under the care of his kinsman King Henry VIII who then oversaw the 3rd Earl’s upbringing and running of his estates. Edward, 3rd Earl, held the office of Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire between 1569-1572 and was one of the peers who travelled to Italy to give Pope Clement VII the declaration regarding Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon.
Lady Margaret Clifford, Countess of Derby
1540-1596
Margaret had impeccable royal credentials as daughter of the Earl of Cumberland, granddaughter of Queen Mary Tudor (daughter of Henry VII) and sister of Henry VIII. As such, Margaret had a strong claim to the throne of the childless Queen Elizabeth I. Margaret married the 4th Earl of Derby in 1555. In 1579 she was accused of treason and sorcery and put under house arrest by her cousin Elizabeth I.
Henry, 4th Earl of Derby
1531-1593
He held public office under three monarchs Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I and was one of the commissioners at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587. He was a patron of actors, notably William Shakespeare, who according to family legend is thought to have performed at Knowsley from 1588.
Lady Margaret Clifford, Countess of Derby
1540-1596
Margaret had impeccable royal credentials as daughter of the Earl of Cumberland, granddaughter of Queen Mary Tudor (daughter of Henry VII) and sister of Henry VIII. As such, Margaret had a strong claim to the throne of the childless Queen Elizabeth I. Margaret married the 4th Earl of Derby in 1555. In 1579 she was accused of treason and sorcery and put under house arrest by her cousin Elizabeth I.
Henry, 4th Earl of Derby
1531-1593
He held public office under three monarchs Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I and was one of the commissioners at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587. He was a patron of actors, notably William Shakespeare, who according to family legend is thought to have performed at Knowsley from 1588.
Ferdinando, 5th Earl of Derby
1559-1594
A poet, he formed a company of actors called Lord Strange’s Tumblers, after his courtesy title, to which Shakespeare belonged. His family’s political position at the time is thought to have been referenced in Shakespeare’s plays, including Titus Andronicus and the Henry VI trilogy. His mysterious sudden death led to the conspiracy that he was poisoned due to his strong claim to the throne, via his mother Lady Margaret Clifford.
Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby
1556- 1637
Daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorp, then a family of minor nobility, Alice married the 5th Earl in 1579 and was widowed in 1594 on the premature and suspicious death of her husband Ferdinando. She subsequently married Sir Thomas Egerton, Viscount Brackley, in 1600. Ferdinando and Alice had 3 daughters, Frances married the Earl of Bridgewater; Anne married Lord Chandos and then secondly the Earl of Castlehaven; and Elizabeth married the Earl of Huntingdon. On the death of the 5th Earl, without a son, the title did not pass to one of his daughters but to his brother William, the 6th Earl of Derby.
Ferdinando, 5th Earl of Derby
1559-1594
A poet, he formed a company of actors called Lord Strange’s Tumblers, after his courtesy title, to which Shakespeare belonged. His family’s political position at the time is thought to have been referenced in Shakespeare’s plays, including Titus Andronicus and the Henry VI trilogy. His mysterious sudden death led to the conspiracy that he was poisoned due to his strong claim to the throne, via his mother Lady Margaret Clifford.
Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby
1556- 1637
Daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorp, then a family of minor nobility, Alice married the 5th Earl in 1579 and was widowed in 1594 on the premature and suspicious death of her husband Ferdinando. She subsequently married Sir Thomas Egerton, Viscount Brackley, in 1600. Ferdinando and Alice had 3 daughters, Frances married the Earl of Bridgewater; Anne married Lord Chandos and then secondly the Earl of Castlehaven; and Elizabeth married the Earl of Huntingdon. On the death of the 5th Earl, without a son, the title did not pass to one of his daughters but to his brother William, the 6th Earl of Derby.
William, 6th Earl of Derby
1561-1642
Brother of Ferdinando 5th Earl. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was performed for the first time in 1595 at the 6th Earl’s marriage to Elizabeth de Vere, daughter of the Earl of Oxford at the Palace of Greenwich. His mother was an heir to Queen Elizabeth I, under the Third Succession Act.
James, 7th Earl of Derby
1607-1651
He held the office of MP for Liverpool in 1625. A staunch Royalist and defender of the King during the English Civil War from 1642, he was captured in 1651 at the Battle of Worcester and executed by Order of Parliament the same year at Bolton for unyielding loyalty to the Crown.
William, 6th Earl of Derby
1561-1642
Brother of Ferdinando 5th Earl. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was performed for the first time in 1595 at the 6th Earl’s marriage to Elizabeth de Vere, daughter of the Earl of Oxford at the Palace of Greenwich. His mother was an heir to Queen Elizabeth I, under the Third Succession Act.
James, 7th Earl of Derby
1607-1651
He held the office of MP for Liverpool in 1625. A staunch Royalist and defender of the King during the English Civil War from 1642, he was captured in 1651 at the Battle of Worcester and executed by Order of Parliament the same year at Bolton for unyielding loyalty to the Crown.
Charles, 8th Earl of Derby
1627-1672
He went abroad during the English Civil War, returning to England in 1651 with his new wife (Dorothea van Rupa), serving as the Mayor of Liverpool. He was briefly disinherited in 1659, before being restored the following year and the family’s lands in the Isle of Man were returned to him.
William, 9th Earl of Derby
1655-1702
On the 9th Earl’s death, the Lathom estate passed to his daughters, whilst his title and lands at Knowsley and the Isle of Man were inherited by his brother James, the 10th Earl.
Charles, 8th Earl of Derby
1627-1672
He went abroad during the English Civil War, returning to England in 1651 with his new wife (Dorothea van Rupa), serving as the Mayor of Liverpool. He was briefly disinherited in 1659, before being restored the following year and the family’s lands in the Isle of Man were returned to him.
William, 9th Earl of Derby
1655-1702
On the 9th Earl’s death, the Lathom estate passed to his daughters, whilst his title and lands at Knowsley and the Isle of Man were inherited by his brother James, the 10th Earl.
James, 10th Earl of Derby
1664-1736
A supporter of William III during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, he later fought against James II in Ireland in 1690 and against the French in Flanders in 1696-97. Knowsley Hall became the principal seat of the Earls of Derby when the10th Earl inherited in 1702. He also held the office of MP for Clitheroe between 1685-87, and then for Preston from 1689-90.
Sir Edward Stanley, 5th Baron of Bickerstaffe, later 11th Earl of Derby
1689-1776
Inherited the Knowsley estates and the earldom in 1736 on the death of the 10th Earl, a distant relative. Sir Edward’s family, the Stanleys of Bickerstaffe, were descended from a younger brother of the 2nd Earl.
James, 10th Earl of Derby
1664-1736
A supporter of William III during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, he later fought against James II in Ireland in 1690 and against the French in Flanders in 1696-97. Knowsley Hall became the principal seat of the Earls of Derby when the10th Earl inherited in 1702. He also held the office of MP for Clitheroe between 1685-87, and then for Preston from 1689-90.
Sir Edward Stanley, 5th Baron of Bickerstaffe, later 11th Earl of Derby
1689-1776
Inherited the Knowsley estates and the earldom in 1736 on the death of the 10th Earl, a distant relative. Sir Edward’s family, the Stanleys of Bickerstaffe, were descended from a younger brother of the 2nd Earl.
Edward, 12th Earl of Derby
1752-1834
Son of Lord Strange and grandson of the 11th Earl. He separated from his first wife, Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, in 1778 as a result of her affair with the 3rd Duke of Dorset. He refused to divorce his wife, so on her death, he married the actress Eliza Farren in 1797. He was also founder of two classic horse races, the Oaks in 1779 and the Derby in 1780. The State Dining Room was built by the 12th Earl in 1820 for a visit of George IV to Knowsley.
Edward, 13th Earl of Derby
1775-1851
An eminent natural historian who collected exotic animals and birds in his menagerie and aviary on the Knowsley estate. He commissioned several animal artists, including Edward Lear from 1832-37, to produce watercolour paintings of the species he collected. These Natural History watercolours are a key part of the Derby Collection today. He held the office of MP for Preston between 1796-1812 and Lancashire between 1812-32. He was the President of the Zoological Society in 1831. He was also a Trustee of the British Museum between 1834-51.
Edward, 12th Earl of Derby
1752-1834
Son of Lord Strange and grandson of the 11th Earl. He separated from his first wife, Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, in 1778 as a result of her affair with the 3rd Duke of Dorset. He refused to divorce his wife, so on her death, he married the actress Eliza Farren in 1797. He was also founder of two classic horse races, the Oaks in 1779 and the Derby in 1780. The State Dining Room was built by the 12th Earl in 1820 for a visit of George IV to Knowsley.
Edward, 13th Earl of Derby
1775-1851
An eminent natural historian who collected exotic animals and birds in his menagerie and aviary on the Knowsley estate. He commissioned several animal artists, including Edward Lear from 1832-37, to produce watercolour paintings of the species he collected. These Natural History watercolours are a key part of the Derby Collection today. He held the office of MP for Preston between 1796-1812 and Lancashire between 1812-32. He was the President of the Zoological Society in 1831. He was also a Trustee of the British Museum between 1834-51.
Edward, 14th Earl of Derby
1799-1869
Served as Prime Minister in 1852, 1858-9 and 1866-8. He was responsible for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. He was also a classical scholar and translated Homer’s Iliad in 1864. Queen Victoria is said to have offered him a dukedom, which he refused. Husband of Emma Bootle-Wilbraham.
Edward, 15th Earl of Derby
1826-1893
Foreign Secretary in his father’s government of 1866-68 and held the post again in Disraeli’s government of 1874-78. He left the Conservative party and joined the Liberals in 1880, after which he held office again under Gladstone.
Edward, 14th Earl of Derby
1799-1869
Served as Prime Minister in 1852, 1858-9 and 1866-8. He was responsible for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. He was also a classical scholar and translated Homer’s Iliad in 1864. Queen Victoria is said to have offered him a dukedom, which he refused. Husband of Emma Bootle-Wilbraham.
Edward, 15th Earl of Derby
1826-1893
Foreign Secretary in his father’s government of 1866-68 and held the post again in Disraeli’s government of 1874-78. He left the Conservative party and joined the Liberals in 1880, after which he held office again under Gladstone.
Frederick, 16th Earl of Derby
1841-1908
Brother of the 15th Earl, he held political office before he was appointed Governor General of Canada from 1888-93. The Stanley Cup, Canada’s annual ice hockey competition, is named after him.
Edward, 17th Earl of Derby
1865-1948
Edward was Secretary of State for War during the First World War from 1916-18, and in 1922-24. He was also ambassador to France from 1918-1920. He was popularly known as the ‘King of Lancashire’.
Frederick, 16th Earl of Derby
1841-1908
Brother of the 15th Earl, he held political office before he was appointed Governor General of Canada from 1888-93. The Stanley Cup, Canada’s annual ice hockey competition, is named after him.
Edward, 17th Earl of Derby
1865-1948
Edward was Secretary of State for War during the First World War from 1916-18, and in 1922-24. He was also ambassador to France from 1918-1920. He was popularly known as the ‘King of Lancashire’.
Edward, 18th Earl of Derby
1918-1994
Son of Lord Stanley and grandson of the 17th Earl. A Major in the Grenadier Guards in World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. He founded Knowsley Safari Park in 1971.
Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
B. 1962
Edward is focused on leading the Knowsley Estates through a period of unprecedented global change. Conservation, preservation and green energy are key policies. The Earl is also Patron or President of over 100 different charities or organisations in Liverpool and the North West. A former Grenadier Guard, investment banker and President of the University of Liverpool, today, the Earl is Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside, having been elevated to Vice Admiral of Lancashire by His Majesty the King for the coronation.
Edward, 18th Earl of Derby
1918-1994
Son of Lord Stanley and grandson of the 17th Earl. A Major in the Grenadier Guards in World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. He founded Knowsley Safari Park in 1971.
Edward Richard William Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby
B. 1962
Edward is focused on leading the Knowsley Estates through a period of unprecedented global change. Conservation, preservation and green energy are key policies. The Earl is also Patron or President of over 100 different charities or organisations in Liverpool and the North West. A former Grenadier Guard, investment banker and President of the University of Liverpool, today, the Earl is Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside, having been elevated to Vice Admiral of Lancashire by His Majesty the King for the coronation.
Caroline Stanley, 19th Countess of Derby
B. 1963
The Countess of Derby, born into the Neville family and raised on the Audley End Estate, studied History and History of Art at the University of London before working at Buckingham Palace as an art expert. Affectionately known as “Cazzy,” she married Edward Stanley, the 19th Earl of Derby, and together they have extensively restored Knowsley Hall. An accomplished historian, Cazzy shares her expertise through podcasts, books, talks, and documentaries. She is also a devoted mother to Henrietta, Edward, and Oliver Stanley.
Edward John Robin, Lord Stanley
B. 1998
Edward has built a career in Private Equity and Management Consultancy after finishing his studies at Oxford University where he read Economics and Management. Edward shares the family passion for the turf and is present at all the key events within the racing season. He is also known for his love of adventure and is a keen skier and underwater diver with travels all over the world. Edward recently qualified as a pilot and spends a lot of time on the Knowsley Estate looking at how to run the business sustainably.
Caroline Stanley, 19th Countess of Derby
B. 1963
The Countess of Derby, born into the Neville family and raised on the Audley End Estate, studied History and History of Art at the University of London before working at Buckingham Palace as an art expert. Affectionately known as “Cazzy,” she married Edward Stanley, the 19th Earl of Derby, and together they have extensively restored Knowsley Hall. An accomplished historian, Cazzy shares her expertise through podcasts, books, talks, and documentaries. She is also a devoted mother to Henrietta, Edward, and Oliver Stanley.
Edward John Robin, Lord Stanley
B. 1998
Edward has built a career in Private Equity and Management Consultancy after finishing his studies at Oxford University where he read Economics and Management. Edward shares the family passion for the turf and is present at all the key events within the racing season. He is also known for his love of adventure and is a keen skier and underwater diver with travels all over the world. Edward recently qualified as a pilot and spends a lot of time on the Knowsley Estate looking at how to run the business sustainably.
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